Taste of Your Own Medicine
by Black Pearl Otaku
Summary: Series of one-shots for the unpopular ship of MirKag. With Miroku, butts, feelings and bodies in general, are not left untouched and there's only so much Kagome can take. What if Kagome gave him a taste of his own medicine? Is falling in love a part of the plan? Please read and enjoy! It would help a lot too if you could suggest ways Kagome can avenge those touched women!
1. Today is such a good day for pink

The first time was a day like no other in the Feudal Era, really. Countless days of physical and mental exhaustion was not easy on the weary mix-matched group. Demons never quit so neither could the heroes unfortunately. Feets were aching, thighs burning, and stomachs growling for a lunch break. The scenery, in all its peacefully teasing glory, didn't seem to help their moods this time. Grumbling, Kagome dragged along on her bicycle, her bulging backpack weighing on her shoulders. She let a sigh fall on her lips as she looked at the back of saturated red robes. She never really had time to think about anything, well, outside of her set priorities.

This past week seemed to just be… automatic. Wake up. Make breakfast. Get interrupted by a corrupted demon. Defeat or persuade said demon. Walk in volatile weather for hours on end. Bicker over lunch. Make instant ramen for lunch. Walk some more. Maybe find a village. Eat dinner. Do homework. Go to bed. Repeat.

Surprisingly slapping a suspected monk wasn't on that list-Wait, Kagome didn't want to jinx it. She shook her head of the thought quickly with another sigh, getting said monk's attention. Soft purple eyes glanced over in her direction, a small wanton smile gracing Miroku's features when his attention fell downward to her swaying 'skurt'. A soft-and much appreciated- breeze swept along their path, teasingly revealing a flash of something in his line of vision. He hummed in approval, feeling slightly rejuvenated. _Today is such a good day for pink._

Kagome felt something other than the breeze on her skin and tightened her grip on her bicycle. She hoped it wasn't another demon, there's only so much she could handle today and being on edge made her more tired than anything. Luckily, no demons came out on that fine day. Though Kagome can't help but sigh again, getting Sango's attention this time.

"Are you alright, Kagome-san?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound and the pace of the group seemed to slacken considerably. She didn't answer right away, pondering a bit. He let out a 'keh' and turned to look at Kagome with piercing gold-colored eyes. He suddenly sniffed the air, nose twitching slightly, before uttering," There's a village nearby. About a couple miles east, you can reach there by evening if you hurry but there's also a demon east-west-ish. I've been itching for a fight, you guys go on ahead."

After the last words, Kagome was suddenly stunted. _No slur? No fuss? Has the Kagome Higurashi finally died?_ She stuttered out a hesitant 'ok', her mood improving slightly. Miroku and Sango were also quite surprised, he must have been just as tired as they were though. Not that neither were complaining. Pondering for a bit, Sango walked up to his side, Kirara and a sleeping Shippo in tow. "We'll go too."

"Sango?"

Kagome couldn't help but question, the demon slayer just shrugged as an answer. It didn't really reveal much explanation but Kagome warmed at Sango's consideration. She must have not wanted Inuyasha to fight alone-Heck, he even seemed pleased about it.

Splitting up, they exchanged quick goodbyes and headed their separate ways. Kagome's face held a soft smile as she bounced cheerfully with each step. The realization that she was alone with Miroku suddenly sunk in and she gasped softly, chastising herself for allowing it to happen. Though, her suddenly sullen mood didn't last as she resigned to her fate. She just skipped further ahead, already forgetting about the concerning length of her skirt. Also quickening his pace, Miroku glanced after her with an appreciative hum. He knew she realized their predicament, smiling at the sight of her shaking her head. He allowed the jingle of his staff to stray his intentions suddenly as the view ahead gave him little peeks of childlike joy with each bounce.

They managed to arrive a couple hours before the last rays of sunlight departed, leaving the heavenly glow of sunsets behind. Although slightly disappointed with the end of flashing pink, Miroku's mood swelled once more. He alway liked this time of day best, where the bustle was shifting from busy to hazy and single ladies came out to play. A purr settled in his throat, hinting the thoughts of his hedonistic mind, before he followed after Kagome to find a suitable lodging for the night.

The search was pretty quick, Miroku's old trick of a dark-looming-clouds worked yet again and Kagome wasted no time in unloading her luggage. Miroku's gaze softened at the display, she must be so tired… and hungry.

"Kagome-sama?" Kagome hummed in reply.

"Would you like to walk with me to dinner?"

Kagome nodded before deciding to mutter,"Hands off though, got it?" Miroku chuckled, tucking his hands into the folds of his robe with a flourish. They headed out into the evening, Miroku humming with a dazed smile under Kagome's watchful glare.

Hearing several giggles in a nearby hut, Miroku slackened his pace, gloved hand twitching. Kagome felt a shiver run down her spine, her lecher-radar off the charts as her hands itched to cover herself. She didn't like where this night was going, a weird twist in her stomach as Miroku inched toward the smell of heavily-perfumed women with a funny smile on his face. Kagome's appetite strangely disappeared as she fumed. _Miroku was being disgusting. Again._ "I think I'm going to go I lost my appetite, Miroku-sama."

That got Miroku's attention. "Are you sure, Kagome-sama?"

She nodded, her face telling him all he needed to know. She was uncomfortable and… upset. _Why?_ He felt bad actually. Another giggle happened to pass between them as she made to leave with a huff, turning on her heel. His staff jingled again as he stepped toward her.

"Please wait."

"And see you lechering? I'll pass, Miroku- _sama_ ," she strained on 'sama' before slowly turning back to Miroku. His purple eyes startled her, the sunset lighting made them more striking than usual.

"Well, I was going to teach you about palm-reading actually. It's a useful skill to have-"

"And not just a tactic to pick up women?" Miroku chuckled softly.

"Men too, if you prefer!"

"I think I'm good, Miroku-sama. I just find it gross when you lecher..."

"I suppose you would, but I can't help the earthly pleasure of it." Kagome laughed, a bit too bitterly to her surprise. "I guess I could stay around, to see you fail."

Miroku seemed to catch the tone as well, mouth opening to inquire before an exceptionally stunning woman stepped out the door of the hut on their right. Her features were quite delicate, endearing smile on her face, luscious locks framing her figure and many women fanned at her side, covering their faces with a giggle and a sleeve over their mouths.

There was a hard sink in her stomach. Kagome couldn't tell if it was because Miroku's pretty eyes were locked on the woman or because she suddenly felt insecure about herself. _Wait, pretty? Where did that come from?_ Kagome's eyes trained on the agonizingly slow pace the woman took towards them. Kagome stayed stuck to Miroku's side and the woman finally opened her mouth.

"I heard there was a notorious monk that arrived here."

Miroku chuckled, shamelessly rubbing the back of his head with his gloved hand. The beads tapping together against the movement reminded Kagome of his curse. She felt saddened at the thought, swirling guilt clutched at her heart before he opened his mouth with a lecherous tone.

"I am but a monk, miss." Kagome lost all previous concern and snorted very unladylike. The woman paid no mind. "Oh, a humble monk? How… fetching."

 _Even her voice was lovely..._ Kagome shriveled a bit on the inside as an unnaturally charming smile fixed itself on Miroku's face. _It suited him... What the hell was she even saying?_ Furrowing her eyebrow, Kagome watched the lady shamelessly flirt with the monk. Her giggles made Kagome's insides twist as Miroku traced lines on the woman's dainty hand. Making sure his voice stuck to every single female in the vicinity, he lowered his volume with a smirk, watching as they all stepped closer to hear him.

Even Kagome was interested by then, intrigued by how soothing his voice actually was. Though she caught herself and hung back, watching as Miroku chuckled again when he was caught teasing by the crowd of thirsty females. Kagome could have probably left at any time if she wanted, but she decided to stay. She might actually learn something… _As if._

"Wow, would you look at that? You have such lovely lines, miss. I predict a wonderful husband and many sons and daughters in your nearby future!"

Kagome snorted again at the woman swooning elegantly, causing her fellow gal pals to explode in giggles and chatter. They crowded the all-too-gleeful monk and pushed against each other, begging to have their palms read. It was actually impressive how fast he got them all wrapped around his finger. Kagome furrowed her brows at the display, it seemed wrong to play with people's emotions, no matter how eager the person was. As if Miroku read her mind, he decided to tease the situation into his favor. The outcomes were probably too predictable-a simple slap on the cheek-but he was hoping that she might play along a bit.

"It's hard to learn about palm reading if you can't hear me. Kagome-sama."

That seemed to get every female's attention. The force of their scrutinizing glares caused her to freeze, a retort stuck in her throat as she caught a mischievous glint in Miroku's eyes and an amused smile on his lips. She pursed her lips and cocked her hip angrily at being called out. There were probably a lot of options she could go about but she only formed two in her head. _Turn away, face the shame of running away and thirsty-female brutality of gossiping or play along and put all these girls and a perverted monk in their place._

Her pride wasn't having any of it apparently as she confidently took a couple steps forward. The giggling crowd turned quiet, parting slightly at the fiery spark in her scarily expressive eyes. They were definitely interested to see how this will play out, knowing full well how their leader's tongue is sharper than any knife. The elegant woman's smile widened, and- _Was that a hint of lust? For a sucky win? Oh hell no._

Leaning closer to a baffled, yet amused Miroku, Kagome smiled right back at her with just as much, if not more, aggression. The woman dropped her hands from Miroku's, as if daring Kagome to take the bait. She did, allowing Miroku to gently grab her hand and face the palm upward.

"What a lovely hand you have, Kagome-sama! The lines are quite diverse in meaning, hmm... Which seems the most interesting to you? I believe I could tell you something you do not know about yourself this way. I must warn you, it's pretty intimate."

The woman just waited for Kagome's move with a graceful lift of a brow, the silence was tense as the females all held their breaths in anticipation. In the rush of the moment, Kagome just shrugged at Miroku's comment, glancing down at their hands before looking up at him. Miroku shifted his gaze from her hand to her blazing eyes, curious about what she will do. Her eyelashes strangely fluttered, teasing and... _a bit flirty? What are you planning, Kagome?_

His gaze suddenly lowered to her lips, which were looking quite cute when parted. There were small marks on the bottom lip too, she probably bit down on them earlier.

"I… don't think I'm interesting in those kind of lines, Miroku-sama."

That got everyone's attention again. Miroku blinked, confused, before he pointed to another crease in her palm and opened his mouth to speak. Kagome cut him off, lifting light fingers to linger over his ear lobe.

"I would say this jawline is very intriguing though." She swiped her fingers along the sharp line of his jaw, humming in appreciation at the feeling of soft skin. Suddenly feeling, more than seeing, all those eyes on her, she pulled her hand to her chest, feigning pain. _"Ouch."_

Miroku stared at her in disbelief. _Who's this and where did Kagome go?_ He felt a sense of pleasure at the change strangely enough, warmth digging under his robes at the laughter in her eyes. The look vanished as it came, leaving an almost identical Miroku-esque smile on her face.

"What a sharp line, Miroku-sama... Is it the same under the robes? Because _I'_ d like to read those lines, if you will. "

Gasps of disbelief were her only response. Miroku was oddly silent, eyes widening softly as he watched her. She suddenly understood what the hell she just said and a blush creeped up her neck but she wasn't done yet. Looking back at the beautifully stunned woman, her nose turned up slightly, Kagome winked cheekily. _No rebuttal. Good._

Kagome's pride was satisfied, yet deflated,causing her turn on her heels. Feeling the blush explode over her cheeks, she looked ahead and quickly spat out," I'll be in our hut, Miroku-sama. Don't lech too long, I'm kinda hungry right now."

 _Oh gods, that sounded wrong_ , but Kagome couldn't change what she said. Quickening her pace, she noticed the outrageously excited chatter behind her and silently hoped to the gods that Karma wouldn't come back to bite her on the butt. She, however, didn't notice the shift in Miroku's expression.

His eyes flickered to her retreating figure, hand stroking along the tingle of her fluttering touch on his jawline and eyes on the rhythm of her long legs. _Well, that was new, better than a slap to the cheek. Definitely better… Ah, today is such a good day for pink._


	2. My Fate is in Your Hands, Kagome-sama

_Smack._ There it was again, a stinging in his cheek and a gloved hand slithering from Sango's butt to caress the pain. At _least, it wasn't her Hiraikotsu,_ he thought willfully, feeling a familiar ache of the last time the huge boomerang kissed the back of his head. Miroku held a mirthful smile as he caught both Sango's growing blush and Kagome's scowl. Their obvious embarrassment and disgust wasn't anything new so it didn't stop his shameless chuckling.

They were on their way to another village, Inuyasha leading with Shippo uncharacteristically by his side, chatting softly. Kagome sensed a jewel shard about a couple minutes earlier, she could feel it move slowly inside some unfortunate demon, its corrupted hunger glowing in the distance. She shivered at the feeling, small whispers of fear making her forget all about Miroku's perversions toward Sango, until a hand brushed against her backside, softly groping it.

In one second, she felt the texture of prayer beads thinly separating the offending palm from direct contact to her butt.

At two seconds, she heard a scarily appreciative but velvety hum settle beside her.

At three seconds, a blush exploded on her face then she finally found her voice to screech like a dying pterodactyl and jump inhumanely into the folds of Sango's arms, who was unbelievably disgusted for a second time in five minutes. _What_ _a new record,_ Inuyasha and Shippo couldn't help thinking as Miroku's life suddenly flashed before his eyes.

A large boomerang-weapon in the hands of Sango kissed the perverted monk's head with a loud _'thunk',_ followed by the chimes of a fallen staff and groans from the observing group. Face in the soft grass, Miroku contemplated whether or not to explain his actions but stopped at Kagome's furious huffing and a throbbing headache. He missed the obviously furious expression on Kagome's face as Inuyasha and Shippo shook their heads in disappointment. Miroku chuckled shamelessly, picked himself off the floor with grace and dusted off his robes, a huge bump already forming on the top of his head. He finally looked at a beautifully raging Kagome, who was hidden behind Sango, and smiled.

"I just couldn't help myself, Kagome-sama." She stepped forward, hand sassily on her hips as she pointed at him with accusation clear in her eyes.

"'Couldn't help myself', my foot! Just wait till I get my revenge, you pervy monk."

 _She had a plan?_ Miroku smiled wider at that, an unfamiliar of genuine excitement filled him. He didn't know why but he had a feeling that she wouldn't disappoint.

"My fate is in your hands then, Kagome-sama!"


	3. P-ah-nts

As soon as she stepped out of the well, Kagome knew something was off. _Ah, there it is._ When she tilted her head to look up, Kagome was greeting by warm smiles and various heads poking in to see her, three heads too many in fact. She slowly climbed her way up, carefully grasping onto each vine while shouldering her giant monstrosity of a backpack. Strangely enough Kagome got used to the tedious climb, her muscles barely straining against gravity.

 _Grab, foothold, grab, grab, foothold._ It didn't take her long to reach the top but a hand inched toward her face before she reached the ledge. It was larger than hers with familiar rough calluses and long feral nails. She grabbed it, allowing Inuyasha to lift her the rest of the way. He grumbled as usual but he was careful.

Miroku smiled a couple feet from teetering Inuyasha, seeing the familiar soft ebony peek out from the well's edge. Kagome's hair gave way to her cute little face, with big doe eyes and a bright smile. He missed seeing her, everyone did, but he missed her legs in particular. He couldn't wait for that lovely future invention, the 'skurt', to flash a bit of those lovely, dark blue- _Wait, dark blue skin?_

She was wearing… leg covers. _What did she call them again? Oh right, she was wearing a 'p-ah-nt'._ Even though they hugged her legs nicely, he was pretty disappointed. He didn't hesitate to hum out his observations causing Kagome to tilt her head in cute oblivion. She dusted her pants off, waiting for an answer. He just shook his head, his staff ringing softly at the movement. He seemed to be looking at her legs before his gaze met hers, a bit of disappointment in his eyes. _Disappointment at what?_

"Welcome back, Kagome-sama."

"It's good to be back."

When Inuyasha barked at them to start moving, Kagome slowed her pace, staying back to look over herself. _Was it something I did?_ Kagome didn't change her hair, she wasn't really dolled up, her chest was moderately covered, and she was wearing pants… Her _pants._

 _Oh, it's my pants._

She smacked her palm against her forehead with a mixed giggle and sigh. _Of course, Miroku-sama liked peeping on bare skin, legs in particular…_ Speeding up a bit, Kagome's gaze fell down from the back of Miroku's head to the patched dark purple robes that curtained his most likely lean body. Maybe she could peek… She definitely should peek. A blush formed on her face as she caught up with the rest of the group.

They packed up from Kaede's village and started their journey, once again. Inuyasha was at the front with Sango, Miroku was trailing behind them, and Kagome and Shippo were all the way in in the back. Kagome happily chatted excitedly with the young fox demon before an embarrassed cry, a loud slap, and a thump of a body dropping to the floor interrupted all movement. Inuyasha watched from afar as Kagome jogged by with the initial plan to keep ahold of Sango, just in case that she might end up killing the perverted monk. Sango was positively boiling, steam almost coming out of her ears as Miroku smiled cheekily at her, brushing himself from off the ground. Kagome sighed, changing her pace and her plan. She did a mental count, pieces of ideas coming into her mind as she stopped right behind the monk himself.

 _Three._ She picked the the fallen monk's staff and twirled it experimentally. The chiming was pretty, she thought as Miroku blurted out some good-natured excuses. _Two._ Kagome firmly grasped the end of the golden staff and hooked it underneath the back end of Miroku's robe. _One._ She lifted the staff high, raising the modest purple fabric up to his upper thigh, and quickly squatted down with an inquisitive tilt of her head to check out what was underneath Miroku's coverings.

The reaction was explosive. Yelps and jaws dropping filled out in the background as Miroku stood stiff, muscles so tense you would think he was a statue if not for the strained breathing exhaled in an awkward sigh. Kagome mentally patted herself on the back and laid her elbows on her bent knees, lying her chin on her interlocked hands with satisfaction.

"Wah, your legs are hot, Miroku-sama! Too bad you're wearing leggings."

"L-leggings, K… Kagome-sama?" Miroku found it a bit hard to speak, turning his head stiffly to look down at the suddenly-confident girl. She nodded with a small smirk," Leggings, Miroku-sama, kid of like… stretchy, tight-fitting pants."

Miroku nodded with a shaky hum, turning completely to pat down the back of his robes, and suggested," So just like your 'p-ah-nts', Kagome-sama?"

Kagome looked up, eyes brightening with awe as her smile widened. Miroku was coughing off his embarrassment kind of cutely, a gloved-and-beaded fist covered his mouth as he held out his left hand for her to grab. Dark indigo eyes roamed over her face with the faintest shade of pink dusting his cheeks, Kagome wasn't too sure if she actually saw it. She blinked a couple of times, making sure to commit the image to memory before taking his hand.

"Just like my pants."

He smiled at the new knowledge, though mocking a sigh as he took his staff from Kagome's hands. Kagome smiled, knowing there was going to be a good reply in his attempt to save himself from the situation.

"Anyways, how shameless of you to peep on a holy monk such as myself", he chastised her jokingly. She just laughed and dusted off her pants.

"Forgive me, Miroku-sama, it's easy to forget that you're as saintly as they come."


	4. Hair?

"This looks so pretty, Kagome-chan! Thank you!"

Sango beamed, squinting at the compacted mirror from mere centimeters from her face. It took Kagome a few seconds to explain what a mirror was, which was relatively easy when compared to water's reflection. _The future's definitely practical._ Sango adjusted the mirror a couple times, looking side to side with admiration. The younger girl glowed at the silent praise in Sango's expression, fiddling with her brush. It, although a bit more fanciful, looked lovely on Sango.

Her soft dark brown tresses were curled with old fashioned hair curlers and teased with care. Bangs left alone, two messy braids situated on both sides of her head were made to blend seamlessly into a high and bushy ponytail. Little curls framed her face and bounced at her back. It was just lovely. Lovely enough for the thought to be repeated apparently.

They giggled over it, Sango's fingers playing with stray curls, before Shippo jumped in between them.

"Ooh! Me next, Kagome-chan!"

"Sure, Shippo. Why not?"

Kagome sifted her fingers through his equally soft hair. He beamed, expression identical to Sango's, and shifted more comfortably into her lap.

On the other side of the forest, Miroku hummed, sunlight warming against his closed eyes. His torso stilled against his staff, legs crossed, with his sandals kicked to the side. The wind carried out in the chimes of his staff, it was peaceful. He wasn't too sure when he would be allowed another moment like this. The nature whispering in his ear turned to yells of protests in the bundles of trees nearby, booming shuffling getting closer and closer. One yell became more distinctive into two varying voices, one gruff and the other more childlike.

"Kami, Kagome! Stop torturing me, will ya?!"

"You should be glad, Inuyasha. She made you look not ugly."

"The hell you say, pipsqueak?"

 _Ah, I shouldn't have jinxed it_ , the monk sighed. Miroku opened his eyes slowly at the disturbance as Shippo squawked in fear. He felt a small hand squeeze a bit of his robes, warmth radiating behind him, before he greeted the pissed hanyou.

"What brings you here, Inuyasha-san?"

His purple eyes analyzed him for a few seconds. An astonished hum rumbled in his throat at Kagome's handywork. She further tamed his locks into an elegant ponytail, bangs parted to the side, the hairs on each side of his head braided intricately to cover the lack of human ears and accentuate his dog ear on top. They traveled into and wrapped around the base of the ponytail. She turned this toad into a prince, it seemed. _Hopefully without kissing_ , Miroku thought absently, not really questioning the thought as of then.

"I can't feel my head and Kagome's just demonic!"

"Says the hanyou."

"Shut it, shortie."

Another squawk was uttered. Miroku glanced at Shippo, whose hair was as equally as crafted as Inuyasha's. His was a more simple bun, a small braid wrapped around it and his teal bow tied on top. A feminine voice echoed through the forest.

"Inuyasha, I'm not done with you yet!"

"You didn't see me, monk." Miroku lifted a brow, a small frown forming, as Inuyasha grabbed Shippo by the tail and just vanished. He just sighed, closing his eyes once more, and waited for the younger woman to make her way to him.

It must have taken longer than expected, he thought with fading sleep, his back glued to the ground and the sky straight ahead in his view. He tilted his head, mind finally recognizing whose upside-down face was peering down at him. Kagome was leaning slightly above him, hands on her brush, her lips seemed to be moving but he didn't catch it.

"Sorry, Magome-sama, what was that?"

"Have you seen Inuyasha anywhere? I still need to fix his hair…"

Miroku shook his head as an answer. Kagome sighed and broke eye contact with him, allowing his eyes to stray to her calves. Her bare skin, smooth and pure, was a straight path to the glories of paradise hidden beneath her 'skurt'. He couldn't help but look for it, pleasure filling at the teaseful breeze.

"Blue is such a lovely color, don't you think?"

Kagome looked at the sky for a second, and smiled.

"You're right, Miroku-sama! The sky has a pretty shade of blue today." Miroku's gaze flickered to the sky.

"Oh! I guess the sky's blue is also nice."

Kagome glanced down at him, then at the sky, and then turning slowly to look around.

"Miroku-sama?"

"Yes?"

"What other blue is there? I mean, we're surrounded by trees, and there's no water nearby…"

Her voice died in her throat, a realization dawning on her as she quickly dropped on her butt to the floor with a squeak. She glared at the laughing monk, his smile soft, rare, and genuine. _Dang, I can't really be mad at him._

"That's not somewhere you should look!"

"I don't know, Kagome-sama. It was like you were begging for me to look!"

Kagome was left flabbergasted, a blush forming on her cheek and teeth grinding. Miroku noticed, a bit curious to see if she'll attack him as he slowly rose into a sitting position. She played with the teeth on her brush instead.

"Good job with Inuyasha and Shippo, Kagome-sama."

"So you _did_ see them!"

"...You didn't hear from me."

Kagome giggled a bit before adding," You should see Sango though."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

There was a comfortable silence as they both looked at the sky.

"Hey, Miroku-sama. Could I do your hair?"

"If it will forgive my mistake."

"I doubt it'll be enough", Kagome teased with a slight curve of her lips," Just kidding."

She scooted over to Miroku who, in trust, turned his back to her. He felt a small pressure, breathing evenly as she pulled the hair tie holding his small ponytail. Surprise, surprise, his hair is soft. She was almost jealous, gingerly smoothing the hair with her fingers. He hummed at the contact, lulled by the consistency. Time passed in a flash and a tap on the shoulder brought Miroku back. He looked at Kagome with a smile as she brought out her mirror, slowly explaining how it works. He took it from her, and looked at himself.

His hair was brushed, straight and tied into a half up, half down style, hair tickling the nape of his neck. Small braids, two on both sides of his head, were made separated and tied into the half ponytail. Voicing out his awe, he caught a glimpse of her sparkling expression.

"Can I?"

"Oh! Um. Sure, take it away."

Kagome was hesitant to turn but with her brush in Miroku's beaded hand, she sat before him. He started by brushing her hair, carefully and slowly. Hands roaming to gather all of her hair, his finger brushed against her neck and she flinched.

"You're tense, Kagome-sama."

"Sorry."

Miroku's answer didn't come right away.

"I can't say I'm an expert like you."

"That's alright! It's just nice when-"

She squawked, a bit awkwardly, and jumped a heavy distance away from Miroku's hand. He groped her. _Of course, he did._

"You know, Miroku-sama. I gave you permission to my hair. Not my butt." Miroku fiddled with the hair tickling his neck, a cheeky grin on his face.

"I couldn't tell the difference really."

Kagome just sighed, neck tingling from the earlier contact.

"Sure you couldn't. Who is to say that you won't wake up with all your hair _shaved off_. Maybe you'd look more of a monk than you act." Miroku clasped his hands together and lowered his head in a panicked and apologetic manner.

"Ack! Let's not get t-too hasty, Kagome-sama!"

"No promises though."


	5. Giggling, Giggling, and More Giggling

Giggling, giggling, and more giggling. Usually she found the sound cute… when babies were doing it. Unfortunately, the laughter was not from small, helpless infants, not anywhere close. Kagome could feel her eyebrow twitch, her fist clench, and her patience running low. Who knew that she would get paired up with Miroku for the day. Especially in a village abundant in single women. _Kami, is this a joke?_

She tapped her foot against the ground, slightly impatient with a hint of something unfamiliar. She could practically hear his lecherous thoughts through all the giggling and chatter. _Any second now_ , Kagome thought with a huff.

"Lovely miss, would you do me the honor of bearing my children?"

 _There it is_ , Kagome snickered. She thought back to the first time he asked her that question, _What an odd day_. Her hands tingled at the memory of his large, and very warm hands clasped over hers, the feeling of textured cloth and prayer beads over her left hand wasn't… terrible. She smiled in a stupor, leaning on a tree, before the daunting reality of what laid beneath the cloth and beads finally hit her as she stared at it, clasped around another woman's hands.

She sucked in a breath, all traces of anger fleeting… He could die right now, and nobody would be able to save him. All because of Naraku. _How… How could Miroku act all okay? Like everything is fine, like he doesn't have an actual black hole in his hand that could kill him and anything in the vicinity. How can he just choose to stay with us, for all this time? How can he just smile and laugh, how can he just flirt shamelessly without receiving anything in return, how can he just be the Miroku that we know him as? Is this even who the real Miroku is?_ The thoughts of it gave her stomach a violent twist, her eyes looking for just the most miniscule indication of sadness or even fear in Miroku's smile. There was none, at least not here. Just strong, captivating eyes and puissant smiles.

Her eyes started burning. _No_ , she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. Crying meant that Naraku won, that Miroku's fate was sealed, and that was as far from the truth as Kagome could fight for. _Naraku will never win. I won't let him. If Miroku can be strong, then so can I…_

Her eyes focused on Miroku laughing with the village women, she chuckled. Kagome lifted herself from off the tree and calmly walked her way over, a slight bounce in her steps. _I will fight for him and for everyone, but I can always entertain him every step of the way._ She cleared her throat and the giggles softened as the women's attention focused on her. They parted for Kagome, whispering into each other's ears in anticipation. Miroku noticed the silence and shifted his gaze to the center of their attention.

It was Kagome-sama, who looked quite different than usual when he was in the presence of village women. He waited for a slap, a glare, something. _Anything._ Kagome just smiled, brilliantly, respectfully, confidently. It was gorgeous.

 _What did I do to deserve this?_ Miroku couldn't help but smile back. She winked and flicked her wrist toward his face. _It's a slap?_

She booped his nose instead, flicking the tip of his nose gently. Miroku stumbled in surprise, staff chiming in protest, as she turned to speak to the suddenly awed village women that he was just wooing a couple seconds ago. She grabbed the thin layers of his sleeve, and stuck her tongue out at them cheekily.

"I'm sorry ladies, I need to take my monk back. We have some things to take care before we take our leave."

They just nodded in response, giggles ensuing once again as they left the two alone. He raised a sharp eyebrow questionably but she shook her head, denying him an answer. He didn't mind, he could always figure it out. Miroku let a teasingly pleasurable smile shine at Kagome's gaze.

"So, Kagome-sama, _your_ monk?"

She stood frozen, mouth open to answer but her reeling thoughts got the better of her. She shook her head in mock disappointment and swiveled on her heels, away from Miroku's calculating gaze.

"Of course you focus on the unimportant details, Miroku-sama. We need to grab supplies so let's go!"

He chuckled at the clear embarrassment on her part. Her steps a little too loud to not be angry when he sped up his pace to keep up with her. He glanced at the side of her face, the smile didn't necessarily leave her face, which was strangely mood lifting.

They walked through various market stalls for a good couple of seconds, grabbing a few things and looking through some more items. It was actually quite peaceful but Miroku had a reputation to keep. His right hand twitched at a devious idea, beads clicking once against each other, as his palm made a straight beeline to her behind. A distinct screech greeted his ears. _Now that's more of a normal Kagome-sama response._


	6. Oh, Just Find a Healer, Miroku-sama

Kagome's ankle was throbbing something vicious. Out of all the reasons, she was running away from a band of demons and happened to trip on one of the demon soldiers' decapitated head. Everyone was busy fighting, even her little baby Shippo. Her heart sunk, crashing and burning pain and insecurities at her own helplessness. Kagome feared she couldn't breath under the weight before her lungs cried for oxygen and she strained a gasp. Tears welled up in her eyes, she tried so hard to not drag everyone down, but damn it, it was already happening. Her throat itched to scream but she bit down hard on her hand. She can't risk drawing attention to herself, the demons might come for her.

Laughing at her own misery, Kagome leaned heavily against a nearby tree, testing her ankle. _Hey… It isn't so ba- Nope!_ She groaned, she can't even protect the future correctly and now she was going to die at the hands of a weak demon army. _Oh Kami, why me?_

A dismayed yelp caught her attention and she reluctantly sprung toward that direction, all darkness plaguing her gone. _For now._ Limping, she notched an arrow on her trusty, surprisingly not broken, bow. The scene before her was just as expected. Inuyasha was fighting fiercely against waves of blood-thirsty demons, swinging his Tessaiga in purposeful albeit reckless movements. Sango and Kirara were the definition of a ruthless, perfect tag-team, slaying various demons left and right. They worked in perfect unison, exposing the center where Miroku was impressively holding up on his own with an injured Shippo at his side, his staff chiming against the blunt force and spiritual sutras thrown with precision. Kagome aimed, projecting a single emotion into the arrowhead, and shot straight through an enemy's heart.

The arrow flashed, burning bright and pink, burning the demons cries as the impact brought out a weak wave of pure energy. It burned a nearby evil entity, causing it to hiss and focus their attention on her. She froze, the hungry, malevolent look in its eyes was far too unnatural due to the hunger for power. She quickly notched another arrow, aiming only to miss the target rapidly approaching her. She narrowed her eyes, fear fueling her currently weakened ankle, as she grabbed another arrow and ran toward her pursuer. Another burst of her reckless courage, she guessed. The demon's bloodlust brought on more demons, all chasing after her slower-paced form. She didn't connect the shaft to the bow string though, catching the eyes of her teammates.

Inuyasha called out to her in protest but she didn't stop to listen, not this time. Her heart pounded, blood rushing and emotions flying, she already decided. She was going to bring these demons down, she will prove herself worthy of her team. Letting out a warcry, the arrow pulsated, energy multiplying magnificently as pink enveloped her hand. She quickly ducked under the dominant demon's hand and stabbed its corrupted heart, gaining deep scratch from another's claws. The effect was instantaneous, the pulsing energy from the arrow spread to the close vicinity of various demons. Cries of agony rung in her ears as she curled underneath herself, predicting another painful backlash. It didn't come.

"What…?"

Kagome heard herself utter, glancing at the protective figure in front of her. She expected the heavily saturated red of Inuyasha's robes and was suddenly shocked at the deep shades of purple instead. It was soothing.

"Miroku...sama?" He grunted against the force of a particularly nasty snake demon, quickly assessing her with his unusually swirling eyes.

"Are you alright, Kagome-sama?!"

Kagome nodded, voice too stuck in her throat to properly reply. He didn't see it, mumbling chants and smacking his golden staff against snarling mouths and vicious claws. After another whine from a nearby wounded demon, Miroku found a small opening between defense and offense and put up a quick spiritual shield. _It's a bit fainter. He must have already used Kazaana when I tripped._

"You were limping when you ran, Kagome-sama. Is your ankle alright?"

She shook her head.

"It's a bit hurt right now. I… I tripped over a decapitated head, I think you could see teeth marks if you look hard enough." Miroku let a small amused look pass through his otherwise battle-ready expression before Inuyasha leaped between the monk and another wave of demons, his weapon sparking against the onslaught of claws and swords.

"Take Kagome and Shippo! We can take care of it from here."

"Inuyasha! I'm not helpless! I can help here just fin-Whoa!"

Miroku seemed to have swept Kagome up, hands at a respectable distance due to the impulsiveness of his action. She protested at first, her hand already grabbing hold of his chiming staff and prayer beads digging slightly into her lower thighs. He was fast, inhumanly so, causing her breath and her dying comment to catch in her throat. With an unconscious Shippo safely in her hold, Kagome felt blood pool at the edge of her uniform shirt. Her adrenaline made no sense of the pain, blood smearing on Miroku's staff in her hands.

"Miroku-sama."

"Yes? What is it?" His breath was oddly composured despite running a considerable distance with additional weight and fighting against a demon army just moments before.

"I think you're bleeding."

"What do you mean, Kagome-sama?"

"There's blood." Now she was the one who was breathless. _Why?_ Miroku stopped for a second, assessing the blood that seeped into his own robes. _Something must have happened_ , Kagome thought, watching his eyes narrow with concern before he fixed a reassuring smile on his face. It didn't look right.

"What's wrong, Miroku-sama? Forget to grope me?"

Her vision blurred and Miroku laughed with a hint of hysteria, running again. His pace was faster than before.

"Yes, Kagome-sama. I did. There's a village nearby, I'll take my chances there."

They reached a nearby village, and by that time, Kagome was feeling a bit lightheaded.

"Miroku-sama."

"Yes? what is it?" Kagome scrunched up her nose faintly, this conversation sounded familiar.

"I think I'm bleeding."

Miroku's grip was tight on her form and she couldn't focus on anything else really, the pain finally seeping into her consciousness and Miroku's prayer beads surely leaving marks on her skin.

"Hey, filthy hands off, Miroku-sama. You could corrupt Shippo."

A chuckle was her only response as his grip laxed. She laughed along too, humored by the ridiculous situation, before gazing up at him. He was close. Warm. His eyes, as lovely as they undeniable were, looked odd. In fact, he looked concerned. _Oh, we can't have that._

Wasting no time, Kagome brought her unbloodied left hand and squeezed Miroku's right bicep softly. Humming appreciatively, she nodded with satisfaction, gaining the monk's attention from searching for herbs or otherwise help.

"Nice muscles, monk."

"I… Now who's groping who?" She had the strength to actually blush, retracting her hand quickly to her chest.

"Oh, just find a healer, Miroku-sama!"


	7. Caught Ankles

They came as they heard. Rumors of a couple beautiful women being taken away by hordes of demons instantly peaked Miroku's interest and concern, the rest weren't as motivated until a simple word of a jewel shard and possibly Kikyo's involvement actually got Inuyasha going. That seemed to be enough for everybody.

 _How dumb_ , Kagome thought at the memory. Indeed the women were being taken, and indeed they were taken by hordes of demons. There actually was more than one jewel shard, but no Kikyo. Though, how did Kagome come across this information? Kagome just sighed, her ankles and wrists bound with rope and blood rushing to her head as her body hung upside down with even more rope. She was caught. Of course, she was. Someone had the brilliant idea to butter her up on a silver platter, blown out in a simple kimono and light makeup.

Kagome didn't think it would work, compared to the other scared, stunning women who happened to cross her way in the village but look at her now. She didn't get the luxury of pants underneath was the unwelcome breeze on her legs was due to the fabric bunched by gravity and rope, her panties out for the world to see.

She couldn't see through her blindfold but she could guess by multiple counts of breathing that there were the women, unconscious hopefully, hung in the same way around her. They weren't hurt and she didn't know why but she knew she had to escape. There was a flash of something in the room, the lighting in the room shifted along with a creak at her eyelevel. Were one of the women awake? Silence answered her, a shuffle of feet passing by greeted her from outside.

"Inuyasha will be here soon and everything will be ok." Kagome's voice was low as she reassured herself, strength gathered as she swung upward to catch the taut rope at her airborne feet.

"That's a pretty flattering angle, Kagome-sama." The voice came from above and Kagome missed the rope, swinging down violently.

"Quiet, you!"

"Here, let me help."

"Help the other women! That's why you decided to go, right?"

There was silence, his staff must have been in another room. Kagome swung upward again, straining until she felt a hand guide hers to the rope holding her, prayer beads against her fingers. Miroku took off the fabric of her blindfold and smiled in reassurance. They were about a good five to ten feet from the floor and Miroku was hanging above her rope from the cross beams. He shrunk back up and started crawling toward another set of rope.

"If you're that insistent, that's the extent of my help right now. I'll get back to you soon, ok?"

Kagome nodded, hoping that her kimono was properly covering what needed to be covered at this point. Paying attention to the situation at hand, she heard faint sounds of a rope beside her being untangled as she ripped into the poorly made knots that separated and somehow connected her ankles. With a grunt, she freed one ankle. Who did these knots? Seriously. Her left leg dangled as she worked on her right, sweat peppering her face. The knot came undone but she forgot to secure herself.

The air rushed from beneath her, her eyes closing with the anticipation of an impact, but her leg miraculously tangled into the rope. She fell before the end of the rope's length stopped her, tightening on her ankle painfully. She swung wildly, dizzy and freely. How graceful, she huffed, hearing soft and uncontrollable laughter from above.

"I'm starting to think you do need my help, Kagome-sama." She didn't answer, hiding her reddened face in her still tied-up hands.

"Hold on, I'll get you-Hnn!"

There was a series of rope snapping and tightening before a heavy weight was swinging just as wildly. Kagome just bursted out in laughter at the glimpses of Miroku's wide-eyed, embarrassed expression passing by like a pendulum. It took only a short time for him to slow down, Kagome's hands reaching for his causing them to spin with Miroku's remaining momentum. It took a bit for them both to calm down, the ropes untwisting between the two of them. Though, it was a little too intimate for comfort, Miroku's arm ended up wrapped around her waist and Kagome's bound wrists around his neck. She felt hot from laughing too hard, a blush on her cheeks, and a joking comment on her lips.

"I think you just fell for me."

He paused at her small smirk.

"You fell first, Kagome-sama. So have you something to confess?"

She paused at his wider smirk.

"Yeah. We gotta get out of here, can you untie my wrists? I can't feel them."

Miroku nodded, smile still stuck on his face, as he untangled the rope. They fell apart swinging, rope still miraculously stuck around their ankles, before the monk suggested," How about you climb up and untangle the women and I'll go down to catch them?"

"And leave them to your lecherous hands? Does that really sound like a good plan?"

"Better than leaving them up there for some demons."

Her only response was a sigh and a slow climb to the cross beams connecting all of the ropes. Miroku jumped down with a silent huff and waited for falling angels to greet him. There was the first one, he caught her eagerly with every intention to rip the blindfold off of her. He looked with satisfaction at full lips and untied the blindfold. He yelped, catching Kagome's attention, and almost dropped the girl in his arms.

"Oh! Oh my god, they're…"

"Beautiful? Grope-able?" He glanced down at the woman's awkward and enlarged features before putting her gently on the floor.

"Um...Not my type. Let's just get this over with."

She laughed as she played with the rope and then they started again. Untie, drop, catch. It was a cycle of work, each face worse than the last somehow. Was he imagining it? Each time, he would suck in a breath only to let it out in disappointment. He didn't know how relieved he was when Kagome whispered," Last one!"

He held out his arms half-heartedly but fell down at the force, it seemed to have dropped from a higher height than the others. Sighing out half of a lung, he practically had to wrench his eyes open and forcibly tilt his head down, looking down to stop at two startling pools of pretty blue.

"Kagome-sama?"

"I'm the last one!"

"Ah, what a sight for sore eyes..."

She just giggled.

"Hmm… Kagome-sama, I think the demons are taking their beauty."

"Or maybe that's your excuses talking."

Suddenly, chaotic noises echoing from the door outside had them separate at a reasonable distance as the door broke down. _Inuyasha and Sango finally came._

"Those demon looked unnaturally pretty, Inuyasha-san. You don't think they stole the women's attractiveness, do you?"

Miroku gave Kagome a slightly smug look.

"Yeah, yeah, monk. You were right."

"Thank you, Kagome-sama."


	8. Body Pillow?

Tired was an understatement, Kagome was completely and utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Countless days and nights without proper sleep, full of bickering and fighting enemies and allies alike. It was draining, she couldn't even remember the last time she actually got to rest. Sighing, she looked at the feeble campfire, throwing stray twigs in with the hope of absorbing the energy of the flames. Inuyasha wasted no time setting off into the forest, most likely to follow the scent of ash and clay, and the others settled into 'bed' after a small nibble of dinner and half-assed conversation.

Everyone fell asleep quickly yet Kagome's eyes were glued open, somehow too tired to actually sleep. Her behavior was strange enough, the lack of sleep making everything distorted and slow. Sort of like a drunk feeling. If that's the right analogy. She rubbed her eyes, body straining at the simple action, before giving up halfway and staring to the right. Deep violet eyes greeted her from the other side of the campfire and she brightened up a bit. If there was a possibility that she couldn't sleep tonight, at least she had company, and just like that she did her best to scooch her way-in her sleeping bag-to the smiling monk.

It was probably, no, definitely, the most inefficient way of doing it but she didn't have the energy to really think about it. So there Kagome was, the smallest squishiest caterpillar with the dopiest smile, settling down as Miroku watched with a mirthful grin.

"Enjoying yourself, Kagome-sama?"

"Not sure, are you?" He glanced at her glassy eyes and the stress indented into her skin before looking up at the stars.

"Hmm, tough inquiry. But with you, I might as well be." Kagome yawned, she couldn't really think about what he said seriously. Whether it was just a formality or if there was something more, she stashed it away in her brain for later. His voice suddenly seemed to play on repeat and she couldn't dissuade the strangely smoky tone for some odd reason. The words came before the thought did.

"Did you know that you have, like, a really nice voice?" Miroku quirked a brow at the compliment. Sure, he got the same compliments from many women but somehow hearing her say it felt heavier, full value and warmth rather than a shallow comment. It was hard to word what he felt as he gazed into Kagome's eyes, curious, mellow purple met dazed, giddy blue.

"Yes, I've heard many say that my voice is really nice, as you put it. But what about you?" She scrunched her nose and slumped back onto the tree trunk support the both of them, still looking at the still monk.

"What about me?" He got a little close, probably too close if she was in the right state of mind.

"Did you know that you have beautiful blue eyes?" She huffed good-heartedly, pushing him back slightly through her sleeping bag, a blush staining her cheeks. His eyes crinkled at her reaction and he settled back into his spot.

"Oh, you tease. Is that how you get all your lady friends?"

She wiggled her eyebrows goofily, causing him to chuckle.

"Not at all. Only my special lady friend." She didn't register that fully but still answered, "Ooooh, lucky me."

"Quite the opposite actually. I believe I happen to be the lucky one, Kagome-sama." She smiled and lazily looked up, stars twinkling out in the open unlike the foggy nights in the future.

"You're quite the charmer."

"Thank you, I only learn from the best."

"And who's that?" She looked back at him, watching his lips form into a cheesy smirk.

"Me."

"Of course, it's you. Hey, you think you can give me lessons?"

She couldn't resist a giggle and he, in turn, wiggled his own eyebrows.

"Sure, I could give you some private lessons."

"Maybe some other time.''

"Hmm, sure. I don't believe you'll have the same mindset in the morning."

"I'm just tired, Miroku-sama, not drunk. Besides I'm underage."

He tilted his head with a quirked brow, and they shifted into a weirdly comfortable silence. Kagome felt more relaxed, happy even, maybe she'll get some sleep tonight. Feeling a bit giddy, she unintentionally started looking at Miroku's face. He was, indeed, attractive. High cheekbones, sharp jawline, he was angular but soft but she just really admired his eyes, swirling violet purple with long lashes. It was almost distracting enough to hide everything else…

Dazed spell broken, she furrowed her brows. Stressed wrinkles from a lifelong burden smoothed at night, dark, sunken eye bags, and a certain hardness suddenly popped out and she felt the urge to say, to do, something. Without a word, she scooched closer to Miroku, knees touching, and poked her hand out of the sleeping bag. He looked, eyes illuminating in the silence.

"When's the last time you've slept properly, Miroku-sama?" Just asking the question made him deflate from the facade of ease he kept.

"I'm not too sure. Does it matter?" She pouted, unintentionally a bit childish and cute.

"To me, it does. If you can't, I can't, so take responsibility."

"I wish I could, Kagome-sama. If you asked me maybe 5 years ago, I could have."

His words felt bitter, just like the sudden crease in her eyebrows, and she felt helpless. Using her lack of sleep to excuse her sudden irrationality, she wiggled out of her sleeping bag, dug into her misshapen yellow bag and procured a large blanket. She threw the blanket over the unsuspecting monk with a fancy flourish and shimmied back into her own sleeping bag.

"Any better?" His lip twitched into a barely-smile and he mocked a sigh."

"Yes, maybe, but I do wish for the physical comfort of a beautiful woman by my side though."

"Pity, is it easier to sleep sitting like that or you ok with lying down?."

"Lying down is a nice luxury and yes, it is quite a shame…" His words dragged on as she scooched further along the tree and pat her leg with an expectantly warm smile. His expression asked the question for him.

"I'm female, sooo…..?" He didn't understand.

"...Soooo?"

"...Body pillow?"

"...Body… pillow. What a strange offering to a holy man, Kagome-sama."

The insinuation jumped over her head.

"Oh hush, I'm tired. The offer stands for a short time period, so take it while you can!" After considerable silence, she feared she just ruined her wonderful friendship with the man in front of her, suddenly beaming when he hesitantly lowered his head onto her lap. Hands out of her sleeping bag, she yawned and adjusted his blanket, watching him turn slightly to look away from her. She hummed in confusion, catching his slightly reddened ears, and grinned.

"Feeling embarrassed, Miroku-sama?"

"... No. It's not often when a beautiful woman willingly engaged with me."

"You know I prefer special lady friend over 'beautiful woman'." He glanced over at Kagome for a quick second, barely-smile widening just a tiny bit. Kagome returned the smile, lightly combing her fingers through his hair.

"...Thank you, Kagome." The gratitude went beyond just the comfort of physical contact, how far, Kagome didn't know but she felt closer to the monk in this moment after two years of knowing him. She felt his breath even out and his body loosen.

"Good night and sweet dreams, Miroku-sama."

It didn't take long for her eyes to shut, hand rested securely on his tense shoulder.


	9. Battle, Exercise, and Poison

The battle came out of nowhere, as did many fights have before, but something about this one seemed off. Maybe it was because she was somehow five times more clumsier than usual, maybe it was because Naraku showed up for the briefest second, screwing up any stable mentality the group had at the moment, or maybe it was because the stupid horde of demons managed to overpower and separate their group with a surprise attack in the goddamned rain.

Sango in one direction, murderous fire tattooed onto her face, and Inuyasha in another, a forlorn look in his features as familiar ebony hair whipped through the forest away from the others. Shippo and Kirara somehow trailed after Sango in a panic as claws and fangs tore the air to shreds, keeping Kagome from following them. All which happened in a matter of probably twenty minutes.

She would be lying if she said her legs weren't screaming as breaths were harder to make without gasping as water pelted against her face heavily. Their situation was pretty bad, she thought, hand in hand with the infamously lecherous and wounded monk, running deeper to god-knows-where in the security of the forest. He had protected her from a cowardly attack from behind when she tried to shoot one of Inuyasha's many enemies. The blood was too much, more than she had seen in her life and she couldn't help but squeeze Miroku's slippery hand at the thought of his actions, feeling the beads engrave into her palm as he swerved quickly in an attempt to throw off their pursuers. The attempt was useless really, his fresh wounds were just the bait thrown eagerly to the wolves. The leaves rustled crazily from each side, pushing them further uphill as snarls bit at their heels.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed as he stumbled on his robes, she was scared that Miroku wouldn't make it to safety without fainting. Her arrows ran out a long while ago-turns out she still wasn't a hell of a shot yet-and she wasn't ready to face off hungry demons with a bloody metal staff and a misshapen patchy backpack in the rain. _Yeah, the rain wasn't exactly my favorite at the moment._

"Miroku-sama?"

He grunted softly as a sort of involuntary response, tugging her hand as gently as he could while nursing his side to avoid an attacker pouncing from the left, who slid into the bushes on the other side with the rain's assistance.

"I'll be fine. Let's worry about escaping alive, hm? You could do without those wet clothes."

Without so much as a breathless squeak of surprise and a discreet shirt shifting, they continued on, Kagome worryingly catching up to the slightly dizzy monk as they burst through the clearing. Miroku fell to the ground, splashing against the mushy grass and skidding with a painful 'oof' as Kagome tripped on top of him-she was looking at the edge of the ground where it cut off into the view of the sky and the forest below. Water rushed in front of them from a wide river into a very steep waterfall. It's usually clear liquid stained with brown, leafs and fallen branches muddling the river as it fell over the edge. With a glance over the edge, it seemed like there was nothing but trees, stray branches along the walls of the waterfall, and a small pool covered in rocks dangerously continuing further down below.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Miroku-sama. Will you be ok?"

Quickly spinning to his feet in a proper defensive stance, Miroku shrugged off her apology and narrowed his eyes at the mutated demons closing in by the waves-almost as chaotically as the river behind them. He grabbed his abandoned staff as a crutch and Kagome flanked his side, slightly trembling-from the cold rain on her skin, definitely not the fear. Surrounding them was just a line of fangs, claws, and drool that inched through the bushes, their tongues flickering at the droplets of dark red left behind as their eyes flashed a similar shade.

Kagome instinctively reached for her arrows, fingers grasping at air and water droplets aimlessly. She forgot she ran out, looking quickly to the taller monk as if to ask ' _what's the plan now_ '. Miroku looked ready to rip off his prayer beads, already pushing her behind him before a hazy hum droned out from all directions. _Poison bugs, damn._ She furrowed her brows again helplessly but his expression didn't change, the grit he put into clenching his jaw contrasted greatly against his clammy, pale complexion. In fact, the haunting flutter of their wings didn't seem to deter the monk, it only drew him on as he started to unravel the beads. Kagome pulled at his hand.

"Miroku-sama, you can't-"

"We have no other choice, Kagome-sama! Stay behind me and hold on. Please." He slung off the beads, pulling Kagome tight against his side as the void in his hand prickled and expanded. The wind howled, pulling in the suddenly submissive predator and any obstacles without much effect. They managed to dig their nails callously into the softened dirt as the hovering bugs were sucked in, drawing poison into his veins as he staggered back in pain. He motioned Kagome to move behind him as he brought his other hand to support his slightly trembling arm. About thirty of the demons fell in, their last words being indistinguishable screams mixed with inhumane whining but the bugs wouldn't stop coming. Kagome noticed, feeling the muscles slacken in Miroku's back as he went under a dizzying spell.

Kagome had to stop him before he killed himself, her eyes burning as she dug her fingers hard into his soaked robes. Knowing Inuyasha would chew her thin for her recklessness, she shook her head in resolve and swiped the bloodied prayer beads from his whitened grip. He protested, hints of anger and panic in his voice, as she brushed her unoccupied hand along the length of his right arm and clasped his fingers closed underneath hers with force. The dark abyss closed as their hands glowed light pink, everything falling back as the indescribable force disappeared. In shock, he could only watch as she moved with once-in-a-lifetime grace to twist her body and her grip to wrap his wrist with the beads in a way she had seen him do hundreds of times.

Rain almost freezing in time, they stared at each other, blue eyes fiery and almost challenging while deep violet was hysterically calm and dim. The bugs seemed to have fled in a swarm into the dark sky and the snarls of the still overwhelming and recovered group of demons brought back their attention. Biting his lip, Miroku went back to applying pressure on his wound as he edged backwards, causing Kagome to follow.

"So what's the... pla-...n… Kagome-sama?"

He drew out the last syllable, allowing himself to lean on her lightly when she nudged his side. She didn't necessarily plan what to do after. His eyes squinted against the sprinkle of rain, jumping back when one of the demons snapped forward. Their pursuers continued their slow, predatorial pace, cornering the two further against the edge. It was only till Kagome felt her feet brush against the edge when she sucked in a deep breath and froze. The seconds expanded into impossible lengths, the thudding of her heart slowing as Miroku's heart thumped loudly. _Ba-bump… Ba-bump… Ba….Bump… There was no other way, he can't go on like this._ She quickly felt her way down his arms and squeezed his hand, stressed tears finally pricking at her eyes.

"Hey, we gotta go." It sounded more tender to her than it probably was for him.

"Go?" She nodded, warily eyeing the enclosing rows of demons.

"Mhm. Down there… Can you swim?"

"Sw...im? I can... certainly try for a pretty… lady." She couldn't help but let a frantic giggle pass her lips, he probably didn't even know what she was talking about.

"On the count of three."

"Alright, fairly confident that… I can count that much, Kagome-... sama."

Gathering Miroku's staff, her backpack, and her partially useless weapon, she smiled at his comment and threw their stuff over the edge and away from the water. She could see it, the muscles tensing from beneath layered skin or matted fur as their eyes narrowed. _They were going in for the kill._ Without a second to lose, she scrapped the thought of counting and lept backwards, dragging the surprised, yet barely conscious monk with her.

"Kagome-sama, wait-!"

The wind whipped through her hair, lashing around her face as she hugged Miroku close to her body, hand protecting his head against her chest as he held onto her tightly. They fell fast, the rain surrounding them as they probably plummeted to their deaths. Eyes fluttering shut, she curled slightly into him, tightening her grip on him to keep them close, and prayed.

The water was harsh and cold, dragging them along like ragdolls along the strong overflowing current as Kagome struggled to swim to shore with additional deadweight. He would still paddle every now and then, filling Kagome with more energy and purpose. She had to get them somewhere safe and fast. Blinking her eyes against the stubborn water droplets, she felt the current ease only for a second and guided Miroku onto the shore before joining him in a less graceful heap. She stayed there only to catch her breath, check Miroku's breathing-which was a tired but still teasing huff in her ear, how he managed that was beyond God at this point- and quickly guided him back in the direction of the waterfall.

His hand rested against any stray trees along their path as his breathes finally seemed labored, he couldn't see much as black dots and blurring filled his vision but hummed when Kagome leaned him against what seemed like a cave's entrance. He sunk slowly with a huff and closed his eyes, blinking in and out of consciousness as his hand found its way onto his wound again, the poison pricking all over his body finally affecting the jerkiness of his body as Kagome ran out into the forest.

The seconds ticked by, warmth somehow draining but filling him as the color faded from his usually tan skin. The trickling of rainwater from outside of the cave felt calming, almost too calming, as he tried his best to mediate his heartbeat and strength. The poison must've spread quickly through their little water adventure and he wasn't exactly in the healthiest condition, wound screaming in pain as he attempted to stay awake. Without a pause, he already heard clumsy footsteps coming closer and relaxed his muscles with a small, strained smile.

She didn't hesitate to throw her bag down, along with the miraculously intacted bow and staff and a pile of mostly dry sticks and herbs, before digging in as if her life depended on it. Well his did, so it was completely justified. Seemingly finding what he needed first, she crouched next to him and popped open the cap. It looked to be a strange, sterile liquid, similar to the first time he managed to get poisoned.

"Oh Kagome-sama, I don't think I have the strength to drink this all myself. Would you be open to-..."

"Miroku...sama, you still got time to joke around?"

He noticed the slightest quiver in her hand as her sniffles became more audible, completely gluing his tongue to the roof of his mouth when he met her reddened eyes.

"Hm, it's going to be ok, Kagome-sama. So maybe asking for mouth-to-mouth transfer is a bit too extreme…" He took ahold of the bottle, placed her hands over his on the small container, and continued, "How about just helping me?"

She just nodded, adjusting her position and pushed the bottle against his lips. It went down smoothly and he leaned his head back, it felt better to rest his eyes. He let her drape a 'toweel' over him before dragging everything closer to his still form. Various little noises echoed through the shallow cave, a fire started after a couple minutes of silence and then a soft bubbling of something being boiled in a small pot with additional grinding of rocks creating a pulp with a familiar herbal aroma.

"Um.."

"Yes, Kagome-sama?"

"Are you ok to take off your clothes by yourself?"

"How bold, Kagome-sama-"

"Not like that!"

She was blushing, strangely enough, but it was more her than earlier and it made him feel a little more lighter. He started to untie the knot on his robe, slowly shrugging his torso free from the fabric. It peeled slightly around the slowly clotting wound, causing him to wince and Kagome to forget about how his body was unfairly toned and fairly handsome. Sucking in air through his teeth, he scooched closer to the fire, basking in the warmth as the light flickers over his skin. He didn't notice Kagome settling in beside him until he felt a warm washcloth against his side. It didn't hurt but it startled him enough to whip his head toward her.

"Sorry. Can I treat it?"

He just nodded, turning slightly to give her better access as he tried to dry himself off with one hand. It was a fairly long process, cleaning, crying, comforting, applying ointment and herbs, and then dressing it. He only payed attention to the smallest brush of contact and the way her breath fanned across his torso as she felt more comfortable to fill the silence with rants about what just happened and then her Future problems. The pain wavered every now and then but the Future's 'painkillers' seemed to have help similar to multitudes of herbs he couldn't name at the moment, the only difference was that it was making him quite drowsy.

"I'm probably boring you, huh?"

"As a holy monk, our lifelong mission is to seek and spread knowledge under the guidance of God… and personally I'd love to hear more about these 'kaars', they seem quite revolutionary!"

So she continued, wrapping each layer of the bandages with tender care with a recovered sparkle in her eyes. He didn't know it was over until fingers lightly trailed over his shoulders, his arms, and his face to finish off the little scrapes left over and she became more animated in her explanations while drying out his hair. She even dried out a blanket and placed it near the fire for him, giggling too as she tucked in his mostly naked form with another blanket.

She hung his robes out on the other side of the fire as the silence sort of filled the cave, leaving only the raspy breaths and the crackles of the reasonably small fire. They looked at each other, eyebrows comically wiggling in an intimate conversation before he smiled, words already sent telepathically into her head.

"...Don't thank me, I didn't do anything. In fact, you almost died because of me."

"Well, I don't think I have to ask you to guess who also saved my life earlier, Kagome-sama."

She smiled softly, almost as if to say ' _ok, I'll give up only because you're literally gonna die otherwise_ ', and he quirked his eyebrow cockily. Looking outside, Kagome sighed before a small sneeze escaped her. Miroku looked at her again, eyes glued at a certain spot with a sputter as he gave her a strangely familiar look. She tilted her head slightly. Something about it was off… It wasn't cocky like earlier and it wasn't necessarily happy either... Somehow it gave her the creeps.

"Gesundheit, Kagome-sama…"

"Um, thanks."

She squinted her eyes in suspicion as he smiled even wider.

"You seem to still be quite wet, that is to say your clothes leave little to the imaginati-"

"Holy CRAP! You perv, look away! I swear to God, when you get better I'm going to beat the living daylights out of you."

She covered her shivering form with what little dignity she could as her face grew hot. It caused him to chuckle as she ran over and pulled the blankets over his face with a speed that rivaled Inuyasha's. Keeping the blankets over the laughing pervert with her foot, she quickly pulled off her clothing and attempted to hop into her dry pyjamas. It was proving to be quite difficult as she tripped on her pant leg onto his exposed arm.

"Oh jeez!"

"That stung. Although I have to confess black is such a suitable color on you, Kagome-sama-! Ah!"

"Oh. My. God. I'm going to kill you!"

"Well keep your clothes off if I'm going to die-!"

He was silenced with a soft yet stern flick on his forehead-which basically promised a very foreseeable death-and he slowly drew the sheet off his face to meet eye to eye with a scarily beautiful sight. Upside down pursed lips, pink dusted cheeks, and lively blue eyes plus a messy job of putting on a shirt.

"Ooh, what a scary angel."

"Oh please, just as mortal as any person here…" She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, leaning even closer to brush her forehead against his.

"I think you have a fever, Miroku-sama."

"Take care of me?"

She huffed lightly at his cheesy smile, flicking his forehead again before getting up.

"Already on it, ya nasty perv!"

(This one is longer and more trash than the others for some reason... Sorry about that.)


	10. Bruised Foreheads

Sango and Shippo were gone. Not dead-at least not yet-but they were taken and the rest of the group, along with the village caught in the middle, were left worse for wear. The timing couldn't have been anymore perfect, Inuyasha had reverted back into a human and the village was celebrating a night of successful harvests. In the dark of night, in the span of what seemed like lost time, Inuyasha and Miroku were down for the count and half the flammable housing was burned to the ground, the villagers injured and scattered

The next seconds, minutes, hours were spent in damage control. Kagome, the temp. Priestess, did her best in consoling the remaining conscious village leaders and strongmen, the pink glow of her fingertips lingering.

With Miroku and human-Inuyasha taken care of, the rest of the villagers were left to their own devices. The crying children were satiated, the injured cared for, the fires put out, and the village dead quiet as they slept and waited for the light to come. Kagome couldn't be more grateful for the hospitality-after all it was her group who led _them_ to the village.

In their own hut on the edge, shabby futons were laid out for the broken group but she couldn't bring herself to lay down as the abandoned Kirara paced around by her side. Miroku was definitely the worst out of the two. _Not good._ Their breathing surprisingly felt calm, face occasionally twitching at the pain, and Kirara fiddled with their discarded-for-first-aid clothing.

Holes. Holes. Holes. Maybe Kagome could put her mother's teachings of embroidery to use. Getting out a small sewing kit from her bottomless bag, she couldn't wait for the morning to come but then again she didn't want to see the sun rise.

"Miroku-sama, stop!"

A shoulder harshly brushed aside and robes haphazardly thrown together by muscle memory with a wrapped up arm.

"No! No, Kagome-sama."

Small hands trembled at messily-covered shoulders in another attempt.

"Miroku-sama!"

The hands on his robes were ripped off at the fabric, a grunt escaping from the rigid motion. A moment of instinct and desperation.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Don't-! Don't you even care?"

"I-"

"Just why?! Because of this set-back, Sango-!... Sango an- Sango and Shippo are farther and farther away. They could be dead now for all we know!"

Purple eyes blazed, the early lights of the afternoon sun flickered in his gaze as he directed his attention into the floor. As if he were imagining the stompened blades of grass as the demon horde that ambushed them the night before. Fists clenched, heavy panting and unsteady balance, it felt as if there was a wounded, wild beast before her and she was afraid. Afraid to get close. Afraid that

"Kami-sama above, below, and beside us stupid mortals, I have to go. I have to be there for them. Kagome-sama, you understand… right!? I can't just stand here! We have no time to waste, just laz… Jus- Just lazing around here!"

He faced her, his expression scrunched and the most vulnerable she had ever seen. _Sango._ It stripped at Kagome's most strongest defenses until he attempted to step away. He stumbled over his own staff and barely caught himself as his outbursts caused the other villagers to slowly stop and gather.

"Miroku." No honorifics, just firm, warm, and unwavering. He didn't turn, she cursed, "You're injured, damn it."

"It doesn't matter."

"YES IT DOES!"

He felt the trembling strength in her grip as Kagome forced him to face her, hands stretching the fabric of his robes. He expected tears, he expected a slap, he expected childish Kagome. Flitting eyes met the fiery depths of ancient blue as she slammed her forehead against his, keeping him close and lowered at eye-level.

"You _can't_ come. You're hurt and I don't want you to die, do you hear me!?"

"Kag-"

"No, shut up. Shut up! Do you hear me? Can't you see that this village needs you here? Your left arm is also useless right now and you can't even walk without using your staff! I-."

Her voice decided right then and there to crack but her gaze refused to waver, eyes shining with a new wetness that added to the fire within. He didn't say anything, a frown gracing his features as she pulled harder on his robes.

"Inuyasha's already healed and he's got his stupid ears and old man hair back so we can't stay here long, they're terrified of him. They've agreed to keep you here though… So please. Just stay here. We need to know that at least you're safe and sound..."

Something poked at his legs and Miroku looked down, forehead still brushing softly against Kagome's bangs. Kirara let out a small mew, pawing at his toes with a knowing look, before she bumped her head into Kagome's defensively-tensed calf. Taking a small breather, he let out a small curse at his own misfortune and looked back at the quivering Kagome. She wasn't finished.

"...And of course I care, Miroku-sama. I… I'm useless, I know I am, but I never give up. You know that. I'm just so scared. I'm just scared that we're already too late! That I won't be able to do anything if we ever find-!"

"When, Kagome-sama. When you find them."

Miroku, gaining the advantage of her sudden loss of composure, adjusted the staff in his hand to wipe at the tear in the corner of her eye before letting a bitter smile fall on his lips.

"I just… I need you to stay here. Can you promise me that?"

"...Yes. So please get them back safely."

Kagome couldn't respond to the succumbed tone of his voice or to the hand that brushed against her reddened forehead. She just nodded with a newly found determination and ran back into the forest with Kirara in her arms as a glimpse of red greeted her.

Left alone, he watched their silhouettes disappear as the eyes of all villagers suddenly burned into his back. He sheepishly looked back at various expressions scattered on their equally battered faces.

"Aye, young monk-sama, was she your wife perhaps...?"

He coughed and bought his wrinkled robe sleeve up to his face to cover the abrupt embarrassment on his face, "W… wife?"

They nodded simultaneously, eager to hear the answer. He brushed the fabric against his face again at their eagerness and paused. There was an intrusion in the fabric against his chin-a slight raised threading against bunched and bloodied cloth. Looking down, he found something and thumbed the mended area. Flowers. Fragile white flowers against dark, tainted fabric. He fixed a softer, relaxed smile at the crowd.

"No, just a precious friend."

The villagers looked between themselves with doubt at his smile before returning back to their duties while he, with the help of a rejuvenated, _single_ young girl, moved back onto the porch of their mostly-emptied out hut and slumped against the wall. _They'll make it. Without a doubt. Sango and Shippo are safe…_ With a sigh, Miroku started praying, fingers playing with the minuscule light flowers embroidered on his mended sleeve.


End file.
